Author
Topic: Leave the Trub behind...or not? (Read 3449 times)

I feel like ive got most every issue resolved (at least for now and as far as im concerned for what matters to me) except for trub in my kettle making it to my carboy. I have 2 kettles - 1 with spigot and one without. ive tried whirlfloc, irsh moss, and using nothing, Ive tried whirl-pooling....and at the end of the day i still cant avoid the trub making its way to my carboy.

i'm not sure in my experience it matters or not....some batches have had more trub than others, and yet im not sure it changed the taste or quality of the finished product.

any thoughts on how to solve the trub issue, or thoughts on if i should bother - curious about what others think and practice.

I whirlpool (well I stir really well and let everything settle) but I also tip the kettle a bit towards the bottom and get somewhere between leaving the trub behind and carrying some of it over to the fermenter I don't really think it matters one way or another except in how easy it is to transfer to the keg with minimal carryover.

James Spencer of Basic Brewing Radio did an experiment a while ago, where they brewed beers with and without the trub in the fermenters. The beer with the trub apparently had a better flavor and aroma, but I think the difference was slight. A small amount of trub is beneficial, as it adds some nutrients for the yeast. (At least, that's my understanding) If you can leave some or most behind in the kettle, don't worry about some making it in to the fermenter. +1 to the yeast washing, I find it much easier to do without trub.

I don't have a spigot or valve on my kettle, so I use a siphon to transfer from kettle to carboy. I keep the bottom of the siphon just below the surface of the wort, to help avoid picking up too much trub. Once it gets low, about a gallon remaining, I drop it all the way in to get a little of the trub purposely. Most stays behind, but I like to have some in the carboy.

I also siphon out of a stirred kettle, getting pretty clean wort. But I spent years not doing that and can see no difference at all. Interesting to hear about the Better Brewing Radio thing. I get good, clear beer either way.

My general rule has always been leave as much behind as you can but don't stress about it. As was said, some trub is good for yeast health. As far as "better flavor" goes, I haven't listened to that pod cast but "better flavor" is not only subjective but may have nothing to with trub. I have made taken 2 carboys and split a 5 gallon batch between and pitched "the same" amount of yeast and aerated "the same" amount and inevitably one carboy way always better than the other. So I rarely buy those types of experiments. FWIW.

I use a false bottom in the kettle, then strain into the fermenter through a double mesh strainer, because it gives me nice yeast cakes for repitching. I don't repitch dry hopped beers, because I typically dry hop in the primary.

I'm brewing 3 gallon batches on my stovetop, and use a cold water bath in my sink to chill. So unless I'm brewing a beer with a crapload of kettle hops I just dump the majority into the fermenter. Towards the bottom I slow down my pour and stop once I seem to be pouring off more trub than wort. I still get quite a bit of trub in the fermenter, but I've never noticed any issues.

My general rule has always been leave as much behind as you can but don't stress about it. As was said, some trub is good for yeast health. As far as "better flavor" goes, I haven't listened to that pod cast but "better flavor" is not only subjective but may have nothing to with trub. I have made taken 2 carboys and split a 5 gallon batch between and pitched "the same" amount of yeast and aerated "the same" amount and inevitably one carboy way always better than the other. So I rarely buy those types of experiments. FWIW.

great comments on the post from everyone - i dont wash yeast, so i guess the only thing i've read that seemed potentially troubling when it comes to trub, was too much of the gummy proteins and their impact on yeast cells..... i know nothing about this so just stating that what ive read a few different sources out there. seems to be my experience that it doesn't impact much of anything i can determine at this point.